Skating rink that retains refrigeration energy by way of a phase-change material
AssigneeSun-Ice Energy Pte. Ltd.
InventorJacques Mouchet
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a covered artificial skating rink (1) made up of a closed building built over a slab (5) intended to be covered with ice, characterised in that the skating rink (1) comprises: a refrigeration device (9) connected to a refrigerant network (11) in which a refrigerant fluid circulates; a phase-change material (13) connected to said refrigeration device (9) via the refrigerant network; the phase-change material (13) being configured to keep the ice (7) covering the slab at a temperature below the melting temperature of the ice.
Claims13
An artificial skating rink comprising:
- a slab comprising:
- a first layer that supports a layer of ice covering the slab, wherein the first layer is made of a material having mechanical characteristics such that the material withstands stress exerted by the layer of ice without cracking;
- a second layer comprising a thickness of phase-change material and a first refrigerant network of multiple tubes disposed through the phase-change material, wherein the first layer is positioned on top of the second layer;
- and
- an intermediate layer comprising another material and a second refrigerant network of multiple tubes disposed through the another material, wherein the multiple tubes of the first refrigerant network are connected with the multiple tubes of the second refrigerant network, and wherein the intermediate layer is positioned between the first layer and the second layer;
- and
- a refrigeration device connected to the first refrigerant network wherein a refrigerant fluid circulates within the first refrigerant network and the second refrigerant network;
- wherein the refrigerant fluid is provided by said refrigeration device;
- wherein the phase-change material keeps the ice covering the slab at a temperature below the melting point of the ice by the circulation of the refrigerant fluid via the first network.
An artificial skating rink comprising:
- a slab comprising:
- first layer that supports ice covering the slab;
- and
- a second layer comprising a first refrigerant network of multiple tubes disposed through a phase-change material;
- an intermediate layer comprising a heat conducting material comprising a metallic material and a construction material comprising concrete layered above the heat conducting material, wherein the intermediate layer is positioned between the first layer and the second layer comprising the phase-change material, wherein the intermediate layer
- comprises a second refrigerant network of multiple tubes disposed in the concrete;
- and
- a third layer comprising thermal insulation material, wherein the third layer is disposed below the intermediate layer;
- and
- a refrigeration device connected to the first refrigerant network wherein a refrigerant fluid circulates within the first refrigerant network and the second refrigerant network;
- wherein the refrigerant fluid is provided by said refrigeration device;
- and
- wherein the phase-change material keeps the ice covering the slab at a temperature below the melting point of the ice by the circulation of the refrigerant fluid via the first network.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.